The Eco-Hero in Malaysian Novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity
This chapter is informed by Tim (Poland, Western American Literature 26:195–208, 1991) concept of the “eco-hero”, who “seeks and nurtures diversity and complexity and fights against all forms of pollution, class hierarchy and outside threats to bioregional autonomy”, thus rejecting self-interest in...
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| Format: | Book Section |
| Language: | English |
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Palgrave Macmillan
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116644/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116644/1/116644.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848867057169334272 |
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| author | Zainal, Zainor Izat |
| author_facet | Zainal, Zainor Izat |
| author_sort | Zainal, Zainor Izat |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This chapter is informed by Tim (Poland, Western American Literature 26:195–208, 1991) concept of the “eco-hero”, who “seeks and nurtures diversity and complexity and fights against all forms of pollution, class hierarchy and outside threats to bioregional autonomy”, thus rejecting self-interest in search for the “ecocentric Self” (p. 197). Here, I analyse eco-heroes in five contemporary eco-centred Malaysian novels: Keris Mas’s Jungle of Hope (2009), Zakaria Ali’s The Dam (2009), Yang-May Ooi’s The Flame Tree (1998), K.S. Maniam’s Between Lives (2003) and Chuah Guat Eng’s Days of Change (2010). Although the environmental complexities presented in these works differ, their common narrative thread is representing grassroots struggles against environmental degradation in Malaysia, spanning colonial rule to the present time. This chapter thus aims to answer two pertinent questions: (1) how successful are these fictional eco-heroes in their quest to fight environmental threats; and (2) what characterises their successes and failures? I argue that an understanding of the history of local environmentalism influences the successes and failures of these fictional eco-heroes and posit that the conception of the eco-hero has transformed from that of a solitary figure to an expression of group solidarity in the Malaysian context. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:30:26Z |
| format | Book Section |
| id | upm-116644 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:30:26Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1166442025-05-30T01:04:29Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116644/ The Eco-Hero in Malaysian Novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity Zainal, Zainor Izat This chapter is informed by Tim (Poland, Western American Literature 26:195–208, 1991) concept of the “eco-hero”, who “seeks and nurtures diversity and complexity and fights against all forms of pollution, class hierarchy and outside threats to bioregional autonomy”, thus rejecting self-interest in search for the “ecocentric Self” (p. 197). Here, I analyse eco-heroes in five contemporary eco-centred Malaysian novels: Keris Mas’s Jungle of Hope (2009), Zakaria Ali’s The Dam (2009), Yang-May Ooi’s The Flame Tree (1998), K.S. Maniam’s Between Lives (2003) and Chuah Guat Eng’s Days of Change (2010). Although the environmental complexities presented in these works differ, their common narrative thread is representing grassroots struggles against environmental degradation in Malaysia, spanning colonial rule to the present time. This chapter thus aims to answer two pertinent questions: (1) how successful are these fictional eco-heroes in their quest to fight environmental threats; and (2) what characterises their successes and failures? I argue that an understanding of the history of local environmentalism influences the successes and failures of these fictional eco-heroes and posit that the conception of the eco-hero has transformed from that of a solitary figure to an expression of group solidarity in the Malaysian context. Palgrave Macmillan 2024 Book Section PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116644/1/116644.pdf Zainal, Zainor Izat (2024) The Eco-Hero in Malaysian Novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity. In: A Malaysian Ecocriticism Reader: Considerations of Nature, Culture, Place and Identities. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore, pp. 203-220. ISBN 9789819994656 10.1007/978-981-99-9466-3 |
| spellingShingle | Zainal, Zainor Izat The Eco-Hero in Malaysian Novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity |
| title | The Eco-Hero in Malaysian Novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity |
| title_full | The Eco-Hero in Malaysian Novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity |
| title_fullStr | The Eco-Hero in Malaysian Novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Eco-Hero in Malaysian Novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity |
| title_short | The Eco-Hero in Malaysian Novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity |
| title_sort | eco-hero in malaysian novels: from solitary figures to group solidarity |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116644/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116644/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116644/1/116644.pdf |